


(There Must Be Some) Misunderstanding

by meridian_rose (meridianrose)



Series: Can't Fight This Feeling [3]
Category: Black Sails
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Awkward Conversations, Bruises, Doctors & Physicians, Light Bondage, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-05
Updated: 2017-09-05
Packaged: 2018-12-24 05:44:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12006294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meridianrose/pseuds/meridian_rose
Summary: Eleanor calls Silver into her office to broach a delicate matter. Those bruises however are not what she thinks.





	(There Must Be Some) Misunderstanding

"Doctor Silver, a word."

Silver tried not so sigh and let his shoulders slump at Eleanor's words. They rarely meant anything good but she was his superior so he had little choice but to follow her into her office, especially since his pager stayed sullenly silent.

Where was a trauma call when he needed one?

Eleanor stood, waiting for him to take a seat before she closed the door. She sat in her leather chair, regarding him for a moment with what didn't seem to be annoyance.

In fact it looked more like concern.

That was actually worse. Silver was probably in even more trouble if this was going beyond a chewing out for something he'd done, was rumoured to had done, or had not done. His mind reeled as he came up with excuses for any of the above.

"This is a delicate matter," Eleanor said at last.

Silver had to bite the inside of his lip to keep from saying something that would only inflame the situation. He was assuming it was something about Flint. Maybe someone had seen them kiss and made a complaint. Maybe something worse. He was going to be fired, or transferred. Or Flint was going to fired or transferred. This was bad.

It was about Flint, as it turned out, but Eleanor's next words took the wind out of his sails, the righteous indignation Silver was stoking fizzling out in surprise and puzzlement.

"Your wrists." Eleanor's tone was gentle. "What happened?"

Oh shit. Silver tugged at one white sleeve and only then realised that had been the wrong thing to do.

"Nothing," he said and that was also the wrong thing. "Nothing bad."

As if that was going to fix this.

Eleanor sat back in her chair. "You are my responsibility. I have a duty of care here."

"It didn't happen at work." He did not add 'I keep my kinky shit at home' because Eleanor was not angry with him and he didn't want her to be.

"Even so."

Right, and Flint was his superior and it would look bad if it turned out an abusive relationship had been going on in the department. Silver sighed and folded back his sleeves to reveal the obvious, though fading, contusions.

"It's not what you think," he said.

This was Max's fault. If she hadn't been away at that conference – and he'd begged, wheedled, and attempted to bribe Eleanor to be allowed to go too – she'd have been here. She'd have seen the bruises, he'd have gladly told her the truth, Eleanor would have seen or heard about them and knowing how close they were would have asked Max first. Then Silver wouldn't have been dragged into Eleanor's office for this embarrassing discussion.

"You need to be more specific," Eleanor said.

Silver swallowed. "James wanted to try something a bit different," he began. "It was fully consensual I assure you. You might imagine two medical professionals would have more sense, or so Miranda said when she came home and yelled at us, but we weren't as careful as we ought to have been. We ought to have borrowed some of the hospital restraints I guess and not made do with an old shirt we tore into strips."

Eleanor's expression had changed from interest to shock. She blinked rapidly, tried to focus. "I see."

"Miranda was furious," Silver went on, eager to let Eleanor know that this was quite the opposite of an abusive situation.

Miranda had given them both a tongue-lashing before she'd tended to Silver's damaged wrists. It was almost worth the pain and the scolding to have her bathe and dab the injuries dry before she gently but thoroughly rubbed arnica into the skin. James was sceptical but Miranda swore by its efficacy. A cold compress followed and, as Silver now told Eleanor, "Honestly they're much better now than they were. And I promise we'll be more careful in future. We had to promise Miranda that, so you know I mean it."

Eleanor let out a slow breath. "Very well. My apologies for intruding on your personal life. I had to be sure."

"I understand."

Silver left her office. He was 99% certain Eleanor was now pouring herself a whisky from the bottle in her desk drawer, was 100% going to tell Flint all about this in as dramatic a fashion as he could manage, and was already pulling out his phone to text Max.

**Author's Note:**

> For the h/c prompt "bruises"  
> [Tumblr promo post](http://meridianrose.tumblr.com/post/165004395491/there-must-be-some-misunderstanding)


End file.
